Research Snapshots: Transforming Knowledge to Benefit Society

This guest post was first published on the University of Victoria’s Research News website and is reposted here with permission.

The new Research Snapshot template can be used to share research conducted by UVic faculty members and students.

Have jargon and complex concepts prevented you from understanding a research article? Do you ever wish you could get a quick summary of an intriguing research study? UVic’s new Research Snapshots templates can help.

Originally developed by York University as a knowledge mobilization tool for Research Impact Canada (RIC)—a network of universities committed to maximizing the benefit of research—the Research Snapshot translates scientific research into a concise and plain-language summary for decision-makers, practitioners and other non-academic users. It considers questions like “what did the researchers find?” and “how can you use this research?” to identify and communicate real-world impacts from academic studies.

The Snapshot was the focus of a recent workshop hosted by UVic’s Research Partnerships and Knowledge Mobilization unit (RPKM) with Michael Johnny, manager of knowledge mobilization at York University.

“The Snapshots are one way to create effective ‘calling cards’ for researchers, helping them better connect with community, industry and government,” says Johnny.

Since the workshop, faculties have begun to adapt the Snapshot for their uses. “We are always seeking new tools and approaches to broaden the reach and accessibility of our research,” says Catherine McGregor, Associate Dean, Faculty of Education. “We are now spearheading a program using the snapshots to feature the work of our faculty members and students.” Read the Faculty of Education’s Research Snapshots here.

The UVic-branded Research Snapshot template can be uploaded to faculty websites and social media platforms or distributed at meetings and conferences to support discussion topics and issues. The new look and feel maintains the integrity of the original Snapshot tool while allowing users to insert photos and adjust the design layout. There is a template for each faculty and a core template for interdisciplinary research.

Faculties and departments that wish to adopt Research Snapshots to enhance their research communication and reach are invited to connect with RPKM’s Community Partnerships at communityresearch@uvic.ca.

“Supporting our faculties and research centres to use the Snapshot tool can help transform knowledge, moving it into the hands, hearts and minds of people who can use it to actively benefit society”, says Jen Kyffin, UVic’s community partnerships and RIC Liaison.